


Emmenez-moi au bout de la terre, emmenez-moi au pays des merveilles

by c_q_j_a_l_m



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Baker AU, Fluff, M/M, Palantine's exchange, Sokka hates on Paris, Sokka's from Quebec, They do be falling in love in Baguette country, Traveling, Zuko's a Baker and Sokka loves bakeries, Zuko's from France, a fook ton of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29397765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_q_j_a_l_m/pseuds/c_q_j_a_l_m
Summary: "Sokka Amarok had been living and studying in France for three years now. Originally from Quebec City, he had travelled to France for the first time with his best friend Suki, his sister Katara and her boyfriend Aang.""Zuko Mori had been living in France since he was 14 when his uncle had saved his sister and him from their father. Uncle Iroh had raised them alongside his own son Lu Ten in his cafe “Au Dragon Jasmin” in Bayonne, a city in the southwest of France."Or : Sokka and Zuko are two dumbasses that fall in love in France. One is a baker, the other just loves pastries.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Lu Ten & Zuko, Sokka & The Gaang (Avatar), Sokka & Toph, Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23
Collections: HZH Palentine's Day 2021





	1. Suis-moi (Cest si bon quand on s'pomme)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OccasionalArtist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccasionalArtist/gifts).



> This fic is part of a server exchange! It was really fun to do and I hope that the person I wrote this for will love it! 
> 
> The title is from "Emmenez-moi" by Charles Aznavour and it can be translated by Take me to the end of the Earth, Take me to Wonderland.
> 
> I want to thank Scarlet a fook tons for being the beta!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's title is from "Suis-moi" by Camille from the move Le Petit Prince. It can be translated by "Follow-me (It's so good when we get lost)"

Sokka Amarok had been living and studying in France for three years now. Originally from Quebec City, he had travelled to France for the first time with his best friend Suki, his sister Katara and her boyfriend Aang. Paris was not a great city, he really had not been won over by the dirty streets, the people always in a hurry, and the sky as grey as the pavements littered by dozens of plastic bags and newspapers. Paris was ugly as fuck and nothing would change’s Sokka’s mind. 

(Later in his life, after traveling the country, Sokka would form a new opinion of Paris: A stupid city eaten raw by capitalism and power. A capital city full of empty promises and starved young people, who only have their broken hearts and dreams to warm them during cold and gloomy winter nights. People often refer to “Paris'' in order to mention France, but Sokka would understand, years later, the truth. He would chat with an old PMU’s barkeeper in Avignon; work with a strong, tall and passionate rugbywoman in Toulouse. He would share a warm and soothing aligot at Malescombes, in Aveyron, for Christmas with the two elders of the village who had invited him because their child and their family had died on the road four christmas ago. Sokka had been happy to oblige and still sent them letters every month.

Sokka would understand that Paris, in all it’s monstrous grandeur and popularity, was not France.)

But, one good thing about this city was Toph Beifong. 

He had met her during one of his “Bakeryrathons”. He and Katara had a tradition that consisted of trying as many pastries and bakeries as possible. Their mother had been a baker before her death and Hakoda, their father, knew how difficult that specific day could be for his children. So, he decided to take them to a Bakeryrathon around Quebec. Sokka and Katara had kept this tradition every year, without fault. But Aang was the one who brought them wanderlust. That guy had seen almost every part of this planet – Sokka often joked about how Aang could remember each one of his past lives’ experiences, and so that would explain why Mister Aang “Worldwide” Namgyal had seen so much of the world, while being broke. Aang filled their heads with stories of his many travels - and the Amarok siblings were charmed. They wanted, no -  **_needed_ ** , to travel and see the world, taste every dish, savour every pastry, drink every drink. They needed a Worldwide Bakeryrathon. So they did! They began with North America, then South America ; It had been amazing, full of great memories and great pastries. Suki, Aang, Katara and him (the Gaang as they called themselves) had never been closer than during these trips.They would work their ass off all year round just to afford it. 

One day, Sokka had implied he wanted to try Europe for once, France to be more specific, and the four of them had actually looked into it. Unfortunately Katara had to break her big brother’s heart. Even if she worked overtime at the hospital (Sokka had been firmly opposed to the idea) they wouldn’t be able to pay for it. Katara had apologised for almost an entire week. And he kept reminding her that it was okay, everything would be fine, they would be able to do something else for the Bakeryrathon. Aang had proposed every impossible and cheap plan for them to go to Paris, but none of them had filled Sokka with joy. 

That was, until the day Suki came barging into their little flat, speaking french really loud on the phone. 

At the end of the phone call she had looked at the Gaang with a wide smile and told them that her moms, who were spending their retirement in Paris, would be happy to house them for their trip. 

All in all, Kyoshi and Rangi Zhang-Abadie, saved the day. The Gaang was able to travel to Paris for their Bakeryrathon. 

On their second day, Sokka wanted to explore the city on his own, too restless to follow Katara and Aang for their trip into museums and such, and Suki wanted to spend some good quality time with her mothers. So here he was, beginning his trip with a nice little bakery that he found after strolling around (read: getting lost). As he entered it, the smell of still fresh and warm baguettes tingled his nose and awoke his growling stomach. The bakery in itself was pretty small but fancy-looking with its red lacquered furniture. The walls were a darker shade of red and some old photographs of Montmartre during 1880’s had been placed here and there (Sokka also noted that the bakery was ABSOLUTELY NOT in Montmartre, which confused him to no end). The bakery had a small space with two tables and chairs where a writer was apparently searching for inspiration in their still steaming cup of coffee. On the other table a tiny kid was giggling at the funny faces their dad was doing. All in all, the place had a charming and quiet atmosphere, like when Sokka clocks out early in the morning and can look at the city slowly waking up from his balcony, a warm cup of tea in his hands.

While he was perusing the colourful pastries on the display case, a nice Paris-Brest caught his eyes -it was unfortunately the last one and, when it was almost his turn, the customer before him, a small person in a really big green sweatshirt with a white cane, took it. Right in front of his eyes. He was heartbroken, but didn’t show it to the baker, ordering a Religieuse instead. Sokka left the bakery, already thinking about his pastry, when he heard a whistle - and not the type that he used to receive from shady guys looking at girls after gym. No, it was a “come over there” kind of whistle. And it was coming from the Paris-Brest stealer! (Maybe it was rage and jealousy talking, but Sokka thought they looked like a green gremlin.) He approached the person (gremlin) wearing a crooked smile and holding the pastry he wanted. 

“What is it?” he said in french with his awful accent. 

“Hey, I felt you eyeing this Paris-Brest as if it was one of the seven wonders. But a Religieuse is not a bad choice, especially from this bakery.” they answered, playing with their cane. 

Sokka was fuming and opening his mouth, probably to say something mean, when the Paris-Brest stealer continued. 

“My name’s Toph. I have a deal for you. What if we shared? You seem like a nice guy... and I have something that you want.”

“Uh, sure, I guess?” Sokka said, not expecting this outcome at all. 

“Sweet, what’s your name?” Toph asked, already seated on the nearest bench, unwrapping their pastry. Sokka joined them quickly, still a bit stunned. 

“I”m Sokka, he/him.” 

“Sweet, now shut up, it’s time to taste these bad boys. Maybe it’ll give you a better accent.” Toph laughed, looking at an offended Sokka. 

And that is how Sokka found his partner in crime. Toph Beifong. They spent the rest of the day hoping from bakery to bakery, chatting here and there. Sokka learnt that Toph was a linguistic student that always had a sweet tooth. They were blind since forever and loved to joke about it (especially when Sokka forgot about that and showed them a meme on his phone…). Apparently, they also had a dog called Appa, a Great Pyrenees, to help them in their everyday life. Today he was with the dog groomer. He also learnt that Toph’s family was loaded, so that’s why Toph could afford to buy macarons from almost every bakery they went to : Pierre Hermé, Boulangerie Dupain, Utopie, Chambelland…

At the end of the afternoon, Toph had to fetch Appa and so, they parted ways after exchanging phone numbers.

Sokka went back to Suki’s moms’ flat with his head and belly full. 

The rest of the trip went by quickly. They did their famous Bakeryrathon. Sokka introduced the Gaang to Toph and discovered that Suki and them were pen-pals for a long time but had lost contact. Aang became Appa’s biggest fan and made puppy eyes at Katara to adopt a dog. Toph spent a lot of their time with them, showing them places they loved. 

It seemed like the Gaang had won a new member. But as the days went by, Sokka felt… Blue. He knew they had to leave soon, in two days or so. And he hated that fact. He wanted to see more! Toph had told him of all the places they’d gone in the past, the countryside. France.  _ Not Paris _ . They had told him about the cold of the fresh breeze on spring mornings, or the strange smell of cut grass on a rainy day, the wind blowing in their hair, on their face, high up in the mountains. The sea! The Ocean! Eating some churros on the seashore, the sound of the waves crashing on rocks, their fingers playing with the sand or some seashells they’d found. Toph told him how he was missing so much by just staying in Paris, or any capital city really. You can’t understand a country if you only travel where the tourists flock.

And, oh Lord, wasn’t Sokka starved for more than Paris.

Hefelt as if he needed to stay. Maybe… Maybe he could! He knew french, and could work some odd jobs here and there, he might even ask Toph for a place to stay in the meantime. But was he ready to leave everything behind? The Gaang? It was a tough choice…  _ And _ he forgot about his studies! He really wanted to finish his art degree… 

Sokka felt pulled in every direction, he hated hard choices. He hated choices in general! If only he had money; Money would sooth his wanderlust, he wouldn’t have to worry about bills and food and leisure time and hobbies… Sokka would be as free as a bird, a green-winged bird. But he was broke as hell.  _ C’est la vie… _

And as Sokka was deep diving into his awful thoughts, Toph pulled him out of his misery with The Deal of The Century. 

“Hey, I feel bad vibes coming from you, Snoozles. What’s going on?” they said.

“Since when can you feel the vibes? I thought you were a lie detector.” 

“Bah! The lie detector bit was wednesday! Keep up!” Toph punched his shoulder, drawing out a wince, “So, tell me what’s going on.” 

Sokka sighed, looked at the night sky, starless because of the lights, and thought about what he wanted to say. 

“... I can’t see what face you’re making, you know?” Toph said, breaking the tiny silence. 

“Yeah… I know… I was just thinking…” 

“Well think faster, I’m not good at waiting.” 

Sokka smiled and huffed. He opened his mouth and everything went out.

“I want to stay, I don’t want to leave. You told me about all of the things outside of Paris and I want to see them. But… I’m  _ poor _ . I don’t have any money! I can’t even save a single coin! And I have so much back there, I can’t… just- give up everything… I don’t know what to do Toph. What the fuck am I meant to do?” he finished, breathless, anxiety gripping his lungs. 

“Hey… Calm down will ya? I can hear you breathing like Appa coming back from the park. So, if I get what you mean, you want to stay in France. But, money is an issue and so is studies I guess... Well, I have a solution for you.” Toph said with triumph, raising a fist and smiling like madness had possessed them. 

Sokka was looking at her with stars in his eyes. 

“And what’s your solution? Well??”

“What if we were flatmates? At the end of summer I’ll be moving from my parent’s to Bayonne. I have a big ass flat. There’s also a good art school over there! I’m pretty sure you can catch up in September! And if you need money for whatever papers you need, I’m fooking loaded bro! And I hate my parents! So you bet your ass I’m going to use their money for everything and anything! Especially if it can help my friends…” 

Wow. 

That... That wasn’t what he expected. 

But it could work… It could definitely work! He could go back home one last time, take care of everything, and come back here at the end of summer. 

Sokka Amarok felt happiness flooding his entire-being. 

“Hey, still with me?” Toph prodded him, bringing him back to Earth.

“Yeah, yeah! I’m…  _ yeah _ , I would really like to be your flatmate, that seems like a nice deal.” emotions filled his throat and made him crack, the sound almost reminded sokka of his voice at the beginning of his transition. 

“Sweet, I gained a free housemaid.” Toph said, smirking like the devil.

“I knew it, you just want a slave, don’t you?” 

“Oh no! You discovered my evil plot!” they answered, imitating a scooby-doo villain. 

The two of them laughed under the dark night sky of Paris, already thinking about the end of summer. 


	2. When I met you in the summer/Ezpeita herririk Paris ez besterik, zü bezalakorik

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First part of the chapter title is from "Summer" by Calvin Harris  
> The second part is from "Agur Xiberoa" by Etxahun Iruri and it can be translated by "There's no place, not Paris nor even elswhere, that could compare to you." It's a traditional Basque song about how Basque people miss the Basque Country and how they would love to come back Home. I could talk for hours about this song but just know that, in the past, lots of Basque had to leave their home for Paris and other big cities to find work, hence why they miss their home so much.

Zuko Mori had been living in France since he was 14 when his uncle had saved his sister and him from their father. Uncle Iroh had raised them alongside his own son Lu Ten in his cafe “Au Dragon Jasmin” in Bayonne, a city in the southwest of France. Iroh was the best tea maker in the area, and his shop was the perfect place for people who felt like talking, or wanted a nice seat to nap quietly. Zuko had worked with his uncle as soon as he was able to carry a tea tray without causing any damage. It quickly became apparent that he was not very good with customers, so they agreed that Azula would be the one dealing with them (that, still, was not a perfect fit either, mind you.). So on a day when Zuko felt useless and empty, Lu Ten dissipated the dark clouds gathering in his cousin’s head and taught him how to bake the perfect chocolate fondant, his famous and very secret recipe. That’s how and when Zuko Mori discovered a new meaning to his life, a new flame in his heart. His passion for pastries and baking became his field of study and, after Lu Ten left the teashop to travel around the world, it became his beloved job. 

(Zuko’s highschool teachers were not inclined to let him do what he wanted at first. During their last year of highschool, French students are asked to choose their future at the end of every trimester. Their wishes are examined by teachers who, for the most part, only care about numbers and how many students they’ll be able to send to uni because they have “potential” and they shouldn’t “waste their gift”. Zuko’s teachers had refused his wish to join a pastry school in the first trimester saying that his grades were too good and he was too clever, that he should do a Bac S, study sciences and become a doctor or something

It would be a tragedy to do a CAP pastry just because he was passionate. 

“It could be a hobby,” they said.

“Work is about making money, not pleasure,” they said. 

And Zuko had cried himself to sleep. He was only a kid who had a shitty childhood, he just wanted one nice thing for himself, he wanted to live his dream, to become a baker like his cousin. 

Lu Ten had heard him that night and had consulted his father on how to help sooth his little cousin’s heart. 

Turns out, teacher-parent meetings are a good way to intimidate brainless teachers, especially when you’re a 6 feet tall and very buff guy who only wishes to see his little cousin happy for once in his life. 

On this day, Iroh had been very proud of his son. So proud that he had let him finish the day without cleaning the kitchen.) 

Every customer of the Au Dragon Jasmin knew Zuko and loved his pastries. He was not a people person but rather a cooking person, and it felt so good to cook for others; to give them some sugary (or even salty in some cases) joy. Because that’s what it was for him -joy. 

The beginning of his life was marked by destruction and violence, devoid of joy. But he had bloomed. instead of continuing this cycle, Zuko created something. He didn’t have a single wish to hurt anyone, but he was so afraid. Afraid of being like his father, like his grandfather. He was afraid that his father had scarred more than the left part of his face. But, as he grew older and wiser, Zuko realised how similar he was to Uncle Iroh and Cousin Lu Ten. Ozai was nothing more than a name written on his birth certificate. Nothing more, nothing less. His family was his sister, his uncle and his cousin.

(And the owners of “La Bougie et l’Epée”, a sword and candle shop. Jeong Jeong and Piandao Ito were Iroh’s oldest friends and Zuko had always admired them, seeing them as heroes. Piandao taught Zuko how to use a sword and Jeong Jeong helped him get along with his sister. Azula and Jeong Jeong always meditated together on sunday morning, when the first sunbeams caressed the trees and the pavements.) 

Today was Zuko’s day off, which meant that as of right now, he could be seen in the botanical garden, right next to Place des Basques. Bayonne’s garden was not the biggest or the most colourful or... whatever. It was just nice, and Zuko loved nice things. It was also a way to take a deep breath outside while not being far from the city. It wasn’t the quietest place but there was enough background noise to fill his brain. Silence was not something Zuko was particularly fond of and he found himself liking the groaning sounds of trucks and the horn of some frustrated drivers. Zuko sat on his usual bench and opened the book he brought with him. 

Breath in; let the fresh air enter the lungs 

Breath out; push all the useless thoughts away. 

Now, focus on the book. 

Zuko was already 20 pages deep in his book when he heard a dog barking and a man yelling something in english. He didn’t look up (why would he?) until the barking became louder and a huge white dog jumped on the bench next to him, scaring him half to death. While he was trying to get his bearings, the most handsome man he had ever seen appeared next to him, trying to scold the dog. The man turned to him, asking him if he was okay in a very weird french accent.

Zuko blinked, opened his mouth, then closed it. 

Oh boy.

_Oh putain_

Maybe uncle Iroh was right, maybe love at first sight was a real thing. 

The man passed his hand in front of Zuko’s eyes to catch his attention again. 

“Hey… Are you okay ? You seem elsewhere” 

“Uh… Uh yeah, yeah! I am!” Zuko blurted out, “ Sorry I just… I don’t know, guess I got lost in your eyes or something.” 

_Lost in your eyes? What the fuck Zuko? What’s wrong with you?_ _Of all the things to say!_ Azula was right, he’d never get a boyfriend at this rate. Oh no, the guy was flustered now! 

“Oh god I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-” He tried.

“No no don’t worry I- thank you, you, uh, have nice eyes too.” The handsome guy said.

Zuko was taken aback, “You- You really think so…?” 

“I- yeah, actually.” the guy said, blushing. He had a boyish grin that woke up the butterflies in Zuko’s stomach. “My name’s Sokka by the way, and this is Appa! He’s generally a good boy but not today apparently” The man leant down to pet the dog.

“I’m Zuko, nice to meet you two... even if you almost killed me by scaring me, Appa.” 

Sokka chuckled at that, and it felt like a melody to Zuko’s ears. So, he did the most logical thing: Invited him to take a drink at his Uncle’s shop. 

Sokka smiled, his eyes shining bright like the sun up in the sky. He nodded and the two of them walked side by side to the cafe. 

On the way, they chatted a bit, learning about the other. Sokka told him about his family and friends in Quebec, his trip to Paris three years ago and his life-changing friendship with Toph. He was apparently okay with Zuko just listening and not speaking (mind you, he couldn’t muster the energy right now, and it felt good to just listen to Sokka’s soothing voice). They entered the teashop - it wasn’t too busy at this hour, there were just the few usual students from the nearby highschool. They were nice and funny, always very polite and not that noisy. Apparently today was Math day because Balt was eyeing Baptiste’s homeworks and David was drawing on their arm to pass the time. Amaya was frantically going through her note, hoping to find anything that could be useful to solve the problem in front of her. Her girlfriend Sophia gently pushed a hot chocolate toward her, signaling that it was time to take a break. Azula came to their table, asking if they wanted something else (and also to help poor David with their homework). They all greeted him when Zuko entered the teashop, he smiled and waved at them. He could hear Balt and David snickering a bit when they saw Sokka, but Zuko didn’t pay them any attention and walked toward the “Comfy corner” as they called it. It was an area of the teashop home to a settee and two comfy armchairs. Appa had followed them inside and obediently stayed at Sokka’s side, not willing to defy Azula and the mean look she had given him. Uncle Iroh was behind the bar and came to them, his usual calm smile plastered on his face. But, the more Zuko was looking at his uncle, the more he could discern a hint of amusement and mischief in his eyes.

In other words, his uncle was planning something.

Iroh’s smile brightened when he looked at his nephew – always the proud uncle – then he directed his attention to Sokka who had been silently taking in his surroundings, absently petting Appa’s head. 

“Ah, good afternoon. I see my nephew is bringing in customers even on his day off.” Iroh said, smiling at Sokka. 

“He didn’t tell me you were his uncle! And he didn’t tell me he was working there either! Zuko, I know we don’t know each other for that long, but I kinda feel betrayed.” Sokka said, giving Zuko an accusatory glance. 

And Zuko felt panic rising in his chest, as if he had killed someone or insulted Sokka’s family. He was going to apologise when the other men chuckled together, as if they both were on the same private joke. 

“My name is Iroh by the way; Zuko’s uncle, as you now know, and the owner of this tea shop.” 

“I’m Sokka, and this is Appa, thanks to him I met your nephew.” Sokka answered, grinning.

Zuko felt his cheeks flushing and cleared his throat to get his uncle’s attention. 

“Could we uh… order something maybe?” He said, trying to convey to his uncle that he knew Iroh was plotting something, and that Zuko would have none of it. 

“Ah yes, of course. What would you like to have?” Iroh said, still smiling. 

“Well… I’m not familiar with your menu, so I’ll let Zuko choose… since he works here.” Sokka replied, smiling and winking at the flustered boy beside him.

_Oh putain, oh merde._ Zuko could hear his heart beating in his ears. He didn’t even know the guy for more than a day!

“And he’s the baker! So all the more reasons to listen to him!” Iroh chimed in, “A _really good baker._ ” 

“Uncle, stop embarrassing Zuko in front of his boyfriend.” Azula said, entering the conversation as if she had been a part of it since the beginning. “Oh I’m Azula, the sister.” she gave Sokka her best “i-know-i’m-stirring-some-shit-and-it-feels-good” smile. 

“I’m Sokka, I just met your brother. Nice to meet you I guess.” 

Zuko groaned, his face as red as a strawberry coulis. Sometimes he wished he could disappear on command. You know, a snap of his fingers and _poof_ \- no more Zuko, his consciousness reaching a new plane of existence. While Azula and Sokka spoke about student parties they’ve been to (unknowingly of course) and friends they had in common (“oh really you know Mai?” “Yeah! She did some tricks with knives at Jet’s party, last month! It was incredible”), Zuko looked at Iroh with despair. He tried to convey all his distress to his uncle. 

And if there is one thing Iroh is very good at, it’s understanding when his family needs him. 

“Now now Azula, I think Amaya needs another hot chocolate... or she will tear apart her notebook.” He said, trying to lead Azula away from the two boys. He then turned to Zuko. “I’ll get you your usual, we still have some of that basque cake with cherry filling. Would you like to drink something warm Sokka? We have a large variety of tea.” 

“Do you have any caramel tea?”

Iroh smiled warmly and nodded, leaving them to tend to the order. 

“So… You’re a baker?” Sokka asked, his eyes shining with interest. 

“Uh, yeah I am. My cousin taught me how to bake and I guess I just… fell in love with baking” Zuko answered, smiling gently. He could still remember the first time Lu Ten let him prepare the batter for their afternoon snack crepes. 

“Well, That’s great, because _I_ happen to be a pastry lover. my sister and I, we used to do something we called a ‘Bakeryrathon’. Okay, so the point was to taste pastries from all the bakeries we could find.” Sokka grinned. “Oh god, let me tell you all about the time we went to New-Mexico-”

“Why would you go to New-Mexico for pastries?” Zuko interrupted. 

“... I... don’t know, it was Aang’s idea, he has the strangest ideas that guy. But he’s nice, I promise!” Sokka answered. “Anyway, New-Mexico…” 

And for the next 2 hours, Sokka spoke all about his trips across the world. Zuko listened intently, only sometimes butting in to talk about some of his own travels and to give his opinion on some pastries. (Which, inevitably, launched a debate between what was the best alcohol to put into your crepe’s batter: Rhum or Pastis.) 

They only got interrupted when Sokka’s friend, Toph, called him and asked him to bring their dog back home. Zuko felt a sudden sadness in his heart when Sokka rose up from his chair, marking the end of a perfect date outing. Why would he react this way to someone he barely knows? He needed to calm down, breath some nice fresh air. Why was his heart beating like all hell's breaking loose in front of him?! _Get yourself together!_

But Zuko couldn’t. What if this was the last time they saw each other? What if he could never speak to him about cinnamon rolls or lemon tarts again? 

He had to say something, do something! He had let many occasions slip past him, he had so many regrets, and Sokka wouldn’t be one of them. 

And so Zuko opened his mouth.

“Hey, will I see you again?” 

Sokka’s eyes lit up like stars in the sky. He grinned. 

“Yeah of course, I’d really like it.”

Zuko smiled, filled with joy. It was as if the whole Bayonne festival was happening all at once in his body. Fireworks, shooting up from his heart - so loud he could hear them in his head. Sokka came nearer to kiss his cheek before leaving and Zuko was in heaven. The really sweet and handsome guy he met on his day off might be into him. _Oh putain_. 

“Guess you’re the one paying, loverboy.” Azula said, interrupting his daydreaming and giving him a gentle whack on the back of his head - their usual show of affection for each other. 

Zuko glared at her and began to help clean the table. 

“Well at least I have someone” Zuko snickered while putting what he owed in the checkout. 

Azula didn’t say a word and he felt proud of himself for shutting his sister’s mouth close. Finally, a victory for him! 

… And then she came back, whupping his ass with a tea towel. 

But frankly, even his bruised ego (and coccyx) couldn’t cloud his happiness.


	3. Aita

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Aita" means "father" in Basque

Sokka came back, as promised. 

Zuko could not have been happier. 

They chatted until Iroh called him back in the kitchen to finish working on his financiers. But Sokka once again promised to return.

And he did, every week. Toph was sometimes with him, but they mostly spent their time annoying Azula - the two of them couldn’t help but politely insult the other every time they opened their mouths. Zuko couldn’t care less about what the two were doing most of the time, he was too focused on Sokka. One day, the boy introduced him to three new people: Katara, Aang and Suki. 

(Zuko and Katara had a rough start but it all went more smoothly thanks to Aang.)

Iroh could see his nephew and niece blooming like spring flowers - and in no small part thanks to that young man Zuko brought there. Toph sure helped a lot with Azula, they kept her on her toes, challenging her everytime they could. Sokka was… well, Iroh always believed in soulmates; two halves that could complete each other, through an unconditional love (platonic or romantic). The more he watched the two young men interacting, the surer he was that they were made for each other, balancing one another out. Sokka was good for his nephew, bringing sunshines in places once deserted, relieving the darkness brought by the war against himself and his father. Sokka could make Zuko’s heart bloom with a smile and a wink. Zuko, on the other hand, was able to calm an overexcited Sokka, to bring him back to earth when Sokka’s head was worlds away. 

So, when one day he caught Zuko kissing the living daylights out of his new ‘friend’ whilst trying to close up the cafe one day - you can imagine how unsurprised he was.

Ah, he had a lot to tell his son on their next What’sapp call. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it! The end of the fic! I really hope you enjoyed it!!


End file.
